Israeli Parliament to Discuss Armenian Genocide on April 28

JERUSALEM (PanArmenian)–The Chairman of the Meretz bloc in the Israeli Knesset, Haim Oron, will argue for Israeli recognition of the Armenian Genocide during an April 28 debate on the issue in parliament.

Discussion of a draft resolution recognizing the Genocide will be the first thing on the Israeli legislature’s agenda after returning from recess. But Oron is not optimistic the resolution will find much support.

“I stay in touch with Armenian organizations, but this year the government will bury this issue sooner than last time,” Izsrus portal quoted Oron as saying. “Currently Yerevan and Ankara are in a process of negotiations, and many people do not recommend interfering. I do not see any connection between the events which happened 95 years ago and current geopolitics of the region, but these are the realities.”

The Kneset last May unanimously voted to discuss a similar resolution calling on the Israeli government to recognize the Armenian Genocide. But the bill was pulled off the docket shortly after over national security concerns.

The motion to re-table the discussion was introduced by Oron late in March. The parliamentarian introduces this resolution every year to coincide with April 24.

Oron now faces an uphill battle after the appointment of the Israel-Armenia parliamentary friendship leader Likud MP Ze’ev Elken to the chairmanship of the Meretz coalition.

“Earlier, he was the leader of Israel-Armenia parliamentary friendship group, however, now we shall wait to see what pressure will be exerted on him by the coalition fellows. I will talk to him soon… Despite sharp cooling in the Turkish-Israeli relations and many people’s desire to do a bad turn to Turkey, I have skeptical expectations,” said Oron.

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